Rail frog



March 15, 1932.

F. M. VOLK RAIL FROG FiledNov. 5, 1930 2 Sheets-Shut 1 7 A TTORNEYS.

March 15, 1932'. A F. M. VOLK 1,849,257 r RAIL FROG I Filed Nov. 5. 19:50 Sheets-Sheet 2 llllllllllllllllll'llll I IIIIH INVENTOR.

' ATTORNEYS.

IIIHIIIIIIIIIIHJHIIIIHIIIIIIIHII! IHHH Patented Mar. '15, 1932 FRANCIS, M. voLK; or sAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA; ASSIGNOR "or oNn-z'rnmn To IEVERETT.P. PETERSON AND ONE-TH FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA mn vro" JAMns A. GREEK, orn on SAN Application filed November 5,1930. Serial 1To'.--493,558.

point in a manner to guide the wheel'flanges so that they would pass the frog point without dan er of colliding therewith.

Theo ject of the present invention is to generall improve and simplify the construction and operation of the type of railway frog disclosed in my former patent; to provide a railway frog in which offsetting of the main and turn-out rails at a point contiguous to the frog point may be entirely eliminated; and, further, to provide a railway frog in which collision between the wheel flanges and the point of the rail frog may be entirely avoided by offsetting the opposed converging faces of the frog point with relation to the main and turn-out rails adjoining the same.

. The rail frog forming the subject matter of the present application is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a plan view of the main and turnout rails showing the frog structure connecting the same,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the frog structure.

.Referring to the drawings in detail and particularly Fig. 1, A indicates a road bed or ties on which are secured in the usual manner by spikes, or the like, a pair of main line rails B, and a pair of turn-out rails C. These rails intersect each other at D and the point of intersection forms the rail frog. The converging or opposed faces of the frog point indicated at 2 and 3 are usually parallel to and align with the inner faces 2a and 3a of the main and turn-out rails and it is due to this alignment that guard rails are mp oyed, prevent collision between the car wheel. fiangesgand the frog point.

.Thefrogstructure shown in the present instance eliminates; the; necessity of employng guardrails, and it furthermore elimi nates the necessity 'ofoffsetting the main and turn-out rails as shown'in' my former: patent and it-y-is accomplishe-dby oifsetting'the-op' posed faces 2 and 3, of the frog point asshown in Fig. 2.- The dotted linesindicated'at 2b.

and 3?) show the ordinary i-frog point employed, that is, a :point having converging faces which align with the inner faces-2a and 3azof the main (and converging rails. In the present instance it will be noted that,

the converging face 2. of the frog point is offset with. relation to the dotted line2b Whlch represents; a line aligning with: the inner face ofthe main line rail 2a; It is here clearlyrshown that the face 2: of the frog point is 'ofl'setin an outward direction, thus provldlng ample clearance forthe flangesof the car wheelsas they 'cros'sfithe intersection; the amountof clearancezprovided in 1 actual practice being approximately a half inch.p 1 1 ,Again', by refcrring' to Fig. 2, it will be noted that the dotted line 35 represents a line which aligns. withtheinner face of the turnout rail indicated at. 305. It willfurther be noted that the face 3 of the frog point is offset with relation to this line, hence providing ample clearance for the flanges of the car wheels, which are travelin on the turn-out rails. Inotherwords, p ace of offsetting therails with relation to the frog'point to provide clearance for the car wheelflanges a reverse construction has been resorted to inasmuch as the same result is accomplished by offsetting the opposed faces of-the frogpoint this can be accomplished by two different methods, first, by. converging the opposed faces on a greater' anglevthanihas her'etoforebeen reg sorted to, and secondly, by moving the frog point further away from the pointof inter- 1 section. Ordinarily the opposed faces 2 and 3 of J the frogpoint would be absolutely" parallel to the inner faces of the main and turnentrails, but as a greater angle of convergence isresorted'to -in the presentinsta'nce a slight e need 25? angular relation is maintained between the opposed faces 2 and 3 and the inner faces of the main and turn-out rails. By offsetting the faces of the frog point the structure of the rail frog is simplified tnd a more rigid structure is obtained; Furthermore the cost of manufacture is considerably reduced as compared to the frog structure shown inmy former patent Where offsetting of the main and turn-out rails is an essential feature.

In actual practice, by referring to Fig. 1,

it will be noted that a pair of wheels 6 are se- V cured on a rigid axle 7 as indicated. The car I supported by the wheels is proceeding in the 1 other, and a frog point adjacent the point of intersection, said frog point presenting 0pposecl converging faces both of which are offset in an outward direction with relation to the planes of the inner sides of the main and turn-out rails, said converging faces disposed on an angle to the lines parallelingthe inner faces of the main and converging rails.

. rrmuors vo-LK- v.1

direction of arrow a' on the main line rails and as the flanges engage the inner faces a of the main line rails they will continue to travel in that direction, and as they cross the frog the flanges will travel along the dotted line indicated at 2?), see Fig. 2, thus passing the point of the frogwith suflicientclearance to eliminate all danger of collision. 'The point of crossing is furthermore smooth and is accomplished without any jar, as offsetting of the rails has been eliminated and'guard rails have also been eliminated both of which tend to impart a side motion to the wheel flanges during the crossing of, a frog. Such side or lateral motion imparted by the guard rails or the ofl'set portions in the rails throws a heavy strain not only on the rolling stock passing thereover but also on' the rails and the fastening means employed and as such lateral motion or jar is entirely eliminated in the present instance, the life of the rails, the fas tening means, and the rolling stock is materially increased. 7

While certain features of the present invention are more or less specifically described, I wish it understood that various changes may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims. Similarly, that the materials and cres finishes of the severalparts employed may be y i I main and turn-out rails intersecting each other, and a frog point adjacent the point of intersection,vsaid frog point presenting opposed converging faces both of which are ofiset in an outward direction with relation tothe planes ofthe inner faces of-themain V and turn-out rails. r

3.; In a structure of the character described, main and turneout rails intersecting each 

